Safety means for cabinets



Oct. 18, 1955 G. M. EBERLE SAFETY MEANS FOR CABINETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1953 INVEN TOR. Geones M EBERLE BY A Tram/[y Oct. 18, 1955 s. M. EBERLE 2,720,776

SAFETY MEANS FOR CABINETS Filed April 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Games M. EBERLE United States Fatent Office 2,720,776 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 SAFETY MEANS FOR CABINETS George M. Eberle, Lockwood, Ohio Application April 24, 1953, Serial No. 350,885

9 Claims. (Cl. 70289) My invention relates to safety means for cabinets, particularly medicine cabinets, and the principal object of my invention is to provide new and improved safety means of such character.

Since my invention has a great use in connection with medicine cabinets, its use in such connection will hereinafter be described although it will be understood that my invention has other uses not specifically mentioned.

Medicine cabinets have been used to store many items, some harmless, some harmful if not administered proper ly, and some poisonous. Children quite frequently. get into medicine cabinets on playful exploratory expeditions and are so fascinated by the array of bottles and jars that they quite frequently take medicines which are harmful or take relatively harmless medicines in harmful quantities.

In addition, adults sometimes reach into a medicine cabinet when absorbed in other thoughts, or when drowsy, and take unintended medicine or medicine in Wrong quantities since their mind is not acute, at that particular time, to the dangers involved.

My invention prevents unauthorized access to harmful medicines, or medicines which can be harmful when taken in wrong amounts and further prevents thoughtless access to such medicines. Thus, children can be prevented from obtaining harmful items, and adults are required to concentrate on the matter at hand in order to obtain harmful and possible harmful medicines from the medicine cabinet.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application there is shown, for purposes of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume, and in these drawings:

Figure l is a plan View of a medicine cabinet with its door partially broken away to illustrate the disclosed embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View corresponding generally to the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 but with parts in different relation,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 but showing further relation of parts,

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing parts of the embodiment disclosed, and

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram of electrical connections.

The invention is herein disclosed for use with a medicine cabinet 10 of any standard construction. The ordinary cabinet is mounted on a wall W and may have a hinged door 11 controlling access to the interior of the cabinet.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a compartment 12 within the cabinet, the compartment being preferably formed by a casing which may be a unit readily assemblable with the standard cabinet. The compartment is provided with a hinged door 14 controlling access to the interior of the compartment, and the door may be provided with a knob 15 or any other suitable handle.

The compartment is provided for storage of poisonous matter, or for medicines and supplies which may have a dangerous effect if taken or administered in improper manner, Whereas the medicine cabinet may house medicines and supplies which have no harmful effects whatsoever, even when taken by children.

It is intended, through use of my invention, to make materials stored in the compartment inaccessible to children and to make it necessary for fullattention to be directed to the opening of the door of the compartment so that drowsy or absent-minded persons cannot acquire access to the compartment without the exercise of alertness and attention.

In this respect I have provided safety means for controlling the opening of the door 14 and in the embodiment herein disclosed such means comprises a spindle 16 revolvably carried by the door. As best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the door 14 is preferably formed with a localized depression 17 to accommodate a control knob 18 which may be integral with the spindle or structurally connected thereto.

The knob 18 is herein shown as provided with a cylindrical boss 19 having an undercut groove 20 for the purpose of receiving an intnrned flange of a bracket 21 which is spot-welded or otherwise secured to the door 14. It will be appreciated that the bracket 21, together with the head of the knob 18, will hold the spindle assembled with the door 14 and yet will permit rotation of the spindle.

The spindle, in the presently disclosed embodiment, is formed with a threaded terminal portion 22 and a spaced threaded portion 23 of larger diameter than the terminal portion 22 and having threads of opposite hand with respect to the threads of the terminal portion. An undercut portion 24 connects the threaded portions 22-23.

A bracket 25 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the compartment, as best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4, in position for cooperation with the spindle 16, and the bracket provides spaced nut means which in this case are formed by legs 26, 27.

The leg 26 is formed with a threaded aperture 28 for threading action with the threads on the terminal portion 22 and the leg 27 is formed with a threaded aperture 29 for threading action with the threads of the enlarged portion 23, the legs 2627 being spaced-apart a suitable distance so that the terminal portion 22 threadedly engages in. the aperture 28 shortly after the enlarged portion 23 has been threaded out of the aperture 29, the undercut portion 24 providing for axial movement of the spindle to effect this action.

In Figure 2, the enlarged portion 23 is threaded into the aperture 29 and the terminal portion 22 extends beyond the leg 26, and in this position of parts the door 14 is held in position closing off access to the interior of the compartment 12.

To gain access to the compartment, it is necessary to rotate the knob 18 (and the spindle 16 connected thereto) in a predetermined direction to thread the enlarged portion 23 out of theaperture 29 and then axially shift the spindle 16 so that the terminal portion is in position to start in its aperture 28. This position of parts is shown in Figure 3. Thereupon, it is necessary to rotate the knob 18 in a reverse direction in order for the terminal portion 22 to thread through and become free of its aperture, whereupon the door 14 may be swung open, the terminal portion 22 passing freely through the enlarged aperture 29. To lock the door 14, a reversal of the above described operations is necessary.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that considerable attention must be directed to the opening of the door 14 and therefore the contents of the compartment are safe guarded against children and also against adults unless the latter are suificiently alert to carry out the rebination lock and there is no fear of losing or forgetting the combination to'the lock. 1

In addition to the locking feature ofmy invention, I may also provide a signal to visibly or audibly indicate when the door is open, or in the processof being opened.

In the embodiment disclosed, I provide an additional bracket '30 positioned adjacent the bracket 25 and bolted to the compartment 12. It willbe appreciated that'the bracket 30, if desired, maybe made as an integral part of the bracket 25.

' In any event, the bracket 30'provides a leg 31 for carrying an electrical switch 32. The switch maybe of any commercially available type which is provided with 'an operating plunger 33 spring-pressed outwardly of the switch housing. I

As shown in Figure 2, with the spindle 16 in position to hold the 1door 14 closed, its terminal portion 22 is extended to press the plunger 33 inwardly of the switch casing against the urging force of the spring. In Figure :l, the spindle 16 has been retracted sufliciently to disengage the plunger 33 whereby the latter is fully extended by its 's- The signalling device, in the present case, is shown in the form of a warning light and, as best seen in Figure 5, r

a bulb B maybe detachably carried by a socket 34 which is secured to aplate 35. Inthis case, a flange 36 defining the medicine cabinet 10 is formed with an opening 37 of a size smaller than the plate so as to be closed by the latter. The plate may be formed with'a hook 38 which is engaged in an aperture 39 in the flange 36 and a bolt 40 is adapted 'tovpass through an aperture 41 in the plate and be threaded into an aperture 42 in the flange to hold the plate in position against the flange. A sight hole 43 may'be cut into the trim flange 44 of the medicine cabinet to correspond with a similar sight hole 45 in the plate 35, and one or the other of the holes may be covered with a glass which maybe colored red to indicate a warning light.

Figure 6 shows the wiring diagram used in connection with my invention, and it will be appreciated that with the parts in position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the switch plunger 33 will be fully extended so as to close the switch contacts and complete an electrical circuit through the bulb B.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from'the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described, hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiment is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

.1. In combination, a compartment, a door movable to open position to provide for access into said compartment and movable to closed position to close said compartment, and means for holding said door in closed position including cooperable screw-threaded means in part carried by said compartment and in part carried by said door, said co'operable screw-threaded means being movable to position providing for opening of said door by relative rotation thereof in consecutive opposite directions.

2. In combination, a compartment, a door movable to open position to provide for access into said compartment and movable to closed position to close said compartment, and means for holding said door in closed position including parts carried by said compartment and said door, pne ot said parts having a pair of screw-threads of oppo- 4 site hand cooperable with like screw-threads on the othe of-saidparts. 7

3. In combination, a compartment, a door movableto open position to provide foraccess into said compartment and movable to closed position to close said compartment, and means for holding said door in closed position including parts carried by said compartment and said door, one of said parts having a pair of spaced screwthreads of opposite hand cooperable with like screwthreads on the other of said parts, the spacing of the screwthreads being such that one set'engages after the other set has disengaged.

4. In combination, a compartment, a door movable to open position to provide for access into said compartment and movable to closed position to close said compartment, means for holding said door in closed position including parts carried by said compartment and said door, one of said parts having a pair of spaced external screw-threads of opposite hand cooperable with complementary spaced internal screw-threads on the other of said parts, the spacing 'of the screw-threads being such that the one set engages after the other set has disengaged, and signal means actuated when one set of screw-threads'is engaged. e

5. In combination, a compartment, a door movable to.

open position to provide for access into said compartment and movable to closed position to close said compartment,

a spindle revolvably carried 'by said door and having spacedscrew-threads formed thereon, nut means carried by said compartment and providing spaced-apart internal screw-threads'cooperable with respective SCI'CW-rthl'CfidS on said spindle, the spacing of said screw-threads being such that'one set engages after the other set has disengaged.

.6. In combination, a compartment, a door movable 'to open position to provide for access into said compartment and movable to closed position to close said compartment, a spindle 'revolvably carried by said door and having portions of different diameter, each portion being screwthreaded and the screw-threads of one portion being of opposite hand with respect to the screw-threads of the other portion, spaced-apart nut means carried by said compartment and having threaded openings to receive and cooperate with respective 'ones of said threaded portions,

said'nut means being spaced so that one portion threadedly engages its nut means after the other portion has been disengaged from its nut means.

7. In combination, a compartment, a door movable to open position to provide for access into said compartment-and movable to "closed position to close said compartment, a spindle revolvably carried by said door and having a first threaded portion and an oppositely threaded larger diameter portion a bracket carried by said compartment and "having spaced arms, each arm having a screw-threaded aperture complementary to a respective threaded portion of. said "spindle, said arms being'positioned so that'in "order to provide for full opening of the door, saidspindle must be rotated in one direction to disengage one set of screw-threads and then rotated in another'direction tojdisengage the other set of screw-threads.

8. In combination, a compartment, a door movable to open position to provide for access into said compartment and movable to closed'position to close said compartment, a spindleyrevolvably carried .by said door, and

havinga threaded terminal portion and an oppositely threaded larger "diameter portion spaced inwardly from said terminal portion, the threaded portions being joined by an undercut portion, a bracket carried by said compartment and having spaced "arms, each arm having a screw-threaded aperture complementary to a respective threaded portion of said spindle, said arms being positioned so that in door closed position said large diameter portion is in threaded relation with one arm and the undercut portion extends through the threaded aperture in the other arm, the foregoing construction providing for opening of said door by unthreading said largediameter portion from its arm, axially shifting said spindle to enunlocking position by relative rotation thereof in consecugage said terminal portion with the threads in said other tive opposite directions. arm and threading said terminal portion free of its arm.

9. A safety means for use with a medicine cabinet, References Cited illthe file of this Patent comprising a small compartment within said cabinet, 21 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS door for controlling access to said compartment, and lock means controlling opening of said door, comprising 1 g cooperable screw-threaded means in part carried by said 2233699 G I M 1941 compartment and in part carried by said door, said coone operable screw-threaded means being movable to door 10 9179 Phelps May 1953 

